Music

Lee Brice had planned to sing his hit collaboration with Carly Pearce, “I Hope You’re Happy Now,” during the 2020 CMA Awards, but due to contracting COVID-19, he had to pull out at the last minute. The singer is now getting his second shot at this performance, this time at the 56th ACM Awards. “I’m

Fifteen years ago today (April 17, 2006) was an exhausting day for Jo Dee Messina. It was on that date that the singer ran the Boston Marathon, in five hours and 47 minutes; her time was about an hour longer than she had anticipated because she injured her knee about halfway through the course. “I don’t

Elle King is ready to make her home in country music, she says — in part because the awards shows are just so dang fun. King’s solo music leans rootsy, but she’s yet to release a country radio single on her own. Still, she’s a 2020 ACM Awards winner (“Fooled Around and Fell in Love” with

Ed Sheeran has been titling his albums with mathematical signs since his 2011 debut, +, and artists across genres have used question marks, exclamation points, and even parentheses as album titles over the years. Enter Eric Church, who’s taking a page out of the punctuation book for at least part of his new three-record set, Heart

After Jimmie Allen learned he’d won ACM New Male Artist of the Year, there were so many people he wanted to tell. But the number he dialed was his late father’s old number. “My dumb self picked up the phone to call my dad,” a gregarious Allen reveals to Taste of Country Nights with a slight

Brothers Osborne‘s “Younger Me” looks back with gratitude. Childhood wasn’t always easy — but, as TJ Osborne sings, “those trips around the sun / I needed every one.” Osborne co-wrote “Younger Me” with his brother and duo partner John and songwriter and artist Kendell Marvel after seeing the response to his decision to publicly come out

Chris Stapleton turned 43 on Thursday (April 15), but it was his fans who got the gifts, courtesy of his wife. Morgane Stapleton opened up the country superstar’s old photo albums and shared her findings in honor of his big day. Baby-faced Chris ready for a day of hunting? Check. Teenage Chris in a suit?

Eric Church hasn’t been shy about asking country music fans to schedule their Covid vaccinations. As he recently said in the Rolling Stone Interview: Special Edition, it’s the fastest way for live concerts to resume. “I would encourage anyone who can, to get the vaccine,” he says. “It’s common sense to me. The fastest way

“Bright Side Girl” isn’t likely to steal press around Eric Church‘s new Heart & Soul album, but in many ways, it’s the signature song from the new triple album. The tender acoustic ballad from Soul isn’t the best song of the 24, nor is it the most original. Church and his songwriting team are rarely

Classically trained folk singer-songwriter Zack Joseph finds his center in a long-distance relationship in his new song “Keeping Me Sane.” It’s premiering exclusively via The Boot; press play below to listen. “All that’s keeping me sane / Is the hope that you’re thinking about my name,” Joseph professes in each chorus. He’s separated from his love, “so

A series of digital billboards showing messages of support for country singer Morgan Wallen appeared throughout downtown Nashville this week. In February, Wallen was seen on video using a racial slur, a scandal that elicited a swift rebuke from the country music community. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mmichelle (@countrymusic_street_team) “His

When 2021 ACM Awards nominees were announced in late February, Ashley McBryde was on her way home from a writing retreat and unable to watch the announcement live. It was one of her Album of the Year competitors, actually, who let her know about her nomination. “I got a text from John Osborne,” McBryde shares. “Of

Loretta Lynn first entered the world of country music in 1960 with the release of her debut single, “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl.” Sixty-plus years later, the singer is still going strong, releasing new music and continuing to perform for her fans. Country fans have been watching the “Coal Miner’s Daughter” for the last six decades, from

Find Thomas Rhett struggling with his work/home balance during his new song, “Country Again.” The title track from his upcoming album represents the tone and theme of many of the 11 songs. Is it representative of the sound? Longtime fans of Rhett’s are familiar with this internal dialogue set to music. He writes and records songs as uniquely personal as anyone who

Morgan Wallen has posted a letter thanking his fans for their support since the release of his album Dangerous and also announcing his intention not to tour during summer 2021. Despite Wallen being removed from country radio after he was caught using a racial slur on camera, Dangerous spent 10 weeks at Number One —

Morgan Wallen says he’s been working on himself, and he’ll need to keep working on himself. He’s not going to play any live shows this summer, he says. Specifically referring to tour dates with Luke Bryan and scheduled festival dates, Wallen says he’s bowing out. “But it’s important to me personally, if you can, still go

What would “Whiskey Lullaby” have sounded like if Dierks Bentley was the one to record it instead of Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss? Or what if Blake Shelton had been the one who made “The House That Built Me” famous instead of Miranda Lambert? Neither scenario is a far-fetched idea — both almost happened! Sometimes, a

Morgan Wade is longing to know more about her love in her new “Wilder Days” music video. Throughout the clip, the couple’s present-day relationship runs in parallel with his past. In the “Wilder Days” video, Wade and her guy (played by Josh Jakub) are all gussied up for a date; he’s even got a shiny, well-maintained convertible. Wade,

Whether it’s coming out of Nashville, New York, L.A., or points in between, there’s no shortage of fresh tunes, especially from artists who have yet to become household names. Rolling Stone Country selects some of the best new music releases from country and Americana artists. (Check out last week’s best songs.) Gary Louris, “Almost Home” The

Billboards calling Morgan Wallen his fans’ choice as Entertainer of the Year have popped up around Nashville. The mystery of who paid for them runs deep. The Boot and Taste of Country confirmed the locations of three billboards, each with two Wallen-focused graphics in rotation, at various, highly trafficked intersections near downtown Nashville. One billboard design reads “Support that boy from

Despite a varied catalog featuring quite a few twangy odes to the past, some old souls dismiss Garth Brooks as a pop act. To shut down such limiting notions about Brooks, look no further than his debut album. The now-32-year-old Garth Brooks album — released on April 12, 1989 — honors tradition while pushing ‘80s country’s

Alex Miller has officially released the song that set him on his American Idol path. “I’m Over You So Get Over Me” is the traditional country swinger he auditioned with, and appropriately, it’s his first bow as a professional recording artist. Miller says he wrote “I’m Over You So Get Over Me” about an ex-girlfriend. The

Taylor Swift released her re-recorded Fearless (Taylor’s Version) on Friday, a 2021 update of the 2008 album. Comprising 27 tracks, the new LP features six “From the Vault” recordings, including the Keith Urban duet “That’s When.” An introspective retelling of a romance at the brink, the song opens with Swift singing the first verse and

Dogs rank up there with trains and mothers on the list of lyrical cliches in country music, so there’s no surprise that ol’ hound dogs dominate the handful of country songs about beloved family pets. Examples of dogs-focused country songs include breakthrough hits by such historic heavyweights as Hank Williams and Elvis Presley, with the

Twenty-nine years ago today (April 11, 1992) was a bittersweet day for Wynonna Judd. It was on that date that she earned her first No. 1 hit as a solo artist, with her debut single, “She Is His Only Need.” By the time “She Is His Only Need” hit the airwaves, Judd had already had plenty

Texas singer-songwriter Mike Ryan is fighting off heartbreak — with alcohol, naturally — in his new single “Can Down.” As he releases the brand-new song on Friday (April 9), he’s sharing an acoustic performance exclusively with The Boot’s readers. Ryan co-wrote “Can Down” with Brent Anderson, Smith Ahnquist and Will Weatherly. The song’s protagonist is utterly broken

Rising country-pop singer Morgan Wade performed three tracks from her debut album Reckless as part of CBS This Morning’s latest “Saturday Sessions.” The Virginia native played her standout “Wilder Days,” “Last Cigarette” and “Don’t Cry” for the performance, with Wade joined by a backing band that included Sadler Vaden, the producer of Reckless and a

Each year, April 10 is recognized as National Siblings Day. The holiday was created by a woman named Claudia Evart, who lost her siblings, Lisette and Alan, early in life in two different incidents. Though it’s not an official holiday — it’s not a federally recognized holiday, like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day — it’s a good

Chances are good that 26 years ago today (April 10, 1995), George Strait had no idea how significant his plans for the day would become. It was on that date that Strait recorded “Check Yes or No” and “I Know She Still Loves Me,” both for his 1995 compilation album Strait Out of the Box. Strait

Tim McGraw‘s new song “God Moves the Pen” celebrates the power of words — specifically, the ones that declare our love for each other. The midtempo track announces the country star’s Here on Earth Ultimate Edition, due out on April 16. A steady drumbeat and twangy guitar back McGraw throughout the simple “God Moves the Pen.”